The wooden church with the cross on its dome stands quietly in the snow. The sky is clear and blue, the trees around full of white dew.

Crkva od crvene cigle stoji mirno pod oblacima. Baš lijepo izgleda danas.

The white church with blue looks beautiful among the trees with yellow leaves. Autumn gives it a soft and quiet light.

Red brick church with two bell towers and a bell. I took pictures yesterday when I passed by, my soul was very calm from this view.

Yesterday in the church I lit a candle for an old friend, Thimi, who left us two years ago. I knew her since we were young in Elbasan, together we planted flowers in the yard of her house and we laughed about small things. True friendship remains after all this time, just light a candle and remember.

The three arched windows with colored glass on the red bricks look beautiful. The light shines through them really nicely.

Youth outreach took center place this week in several Macedonian parishes when Metropolitan Georgij welcomed representatives from the Macedonian Bible Society to Vranishka parish and its active Orthodox Youth group. The visit included talks on Scripture, distribution of Bibles, and discussions on how young people can live the faith in daily life. At the same time, the Macedonian Orthodox Church held its regular Sunday Liturgy at the historic Church of the Mother of God Peribleptos in Ohrid, drawing families and youth together in worship. Elsewhere, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch announced Metropolitan Saba’s support for a Special Olympics sports camp that will involve young athletes from Orthodox communities. In the Romanian Orthodox Church, the feast of the Martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia reminded parishes of the witness of young saints. The Serbian Orthodox Church marked a memorial service at the Mileseva monastery, where families gathered with their children to pray for the departed. These coordinated visits and feasts show how local churches keep connecting Scripture, worship, and the next generation in ordinary parish settings.

The Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God was carried in solemn procession through parishes of Ukraine’s Vinnytsia diocese this week, drawing large crowds for prayer and veneration on its feast. At the same time, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated its first Liturgy in Ghana, with the ambassador voicing hope that services would continue regularly. In the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Georgij visited Vranishta parish together with representatives of the Macedonian Biblical Association and Orthodox youth to strengthen local ties. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church marked the final Liturgy of Father Velin Iliev at St Cyril and Methodius parish in Melbourne before his departure. These separate moments show how veneration, mission, and ordinary parish life keep moving forward across distant corners of the Church. This matters because they quietly hold the faith together in daily practice.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople marked the anniversary of a bishop’s ordination with solemn Vespers in Chalcedon followed by Divine Liturgy in Panagia Kamariotissa on Halki. In the same days the Serbian Orthodox Church gathered at the Mileseva monastery for the memorial service on Zadusnica, remembering the departed with traditional prayers and koliva. The Romanian Orthodox Church observed the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, reading the synodikon and honoring the confessors who defended the icons. Meanwhile the Orthodox Church in America held its St. Olga Clergy Wives Gathering during the diocesan assembly in the Midwest, offering quiet support and practical fellowship for those serving parishes. These separate observances show the steady rhythm of episcopal memory, synodal fidelity, and everyday pastoral care across jurisdictions. May the Lord grant many years to the celebrating bishop and steady strength to the clergy families in all the named Churches.

Last night after dinner, my daughter and I stood in front of the icon corner. They lit a lamp in front of Kazanskaya, read “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God” and evening prayers according to the prayer book. The eldest son couldn’t make it this time, he was on shift, but she told him that they also remembered him at home.

The Feast of the 99 Venerable Fathers at Azogyres drew crowds to the remote monastic site in Crete where the ascetics once lived and struggled. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople celebrated Vespers followed by Divine Liturgy right at the spot of their ancient labors. In the same week the Church of Greece marked the memory of Saint James the Apostle of Alphaeus with services across its dioceses. Meanwhile the Romanian Orthodox Church observed the feast of the Martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia together with Venerables Bassian and Theophilus the Confessor, and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church held a patriarchal Liturgy at the St John of Rila Monastery in Germany. Local parishes in each place kept the services simple and focused, with many faithful traveling early to join the prayers. The gatherings stayed close to the old monastic pattern of reading, chanting, and quiet reflection. This matters because such local feasts quietly knit distant Orthodox communities to their shared spiritual roots.

Sunday at church left me with something simple. In the report, when Pope-Demetrius said the name of the apostle Philip, I suddenly remembered how my little girl had asked last week "who is this Philip?". In the end, my wife and daughter and I went for coffee at my mother-in-law's house, as we usually do. Nothing more, but I felt grateful that we are together.